Final answer:
Alkalizing agents are added to waving solutions to increase their pH level and create the alkaline environment necessary for breaking and reforming disulfide bonds in the hair.
Step-by-step explanation:
Alkalizing agents are added to waving solutions in order to increase their pH, making them more basic. This is important because waving solutions work by breaking and reforming disulfide bonds in the hair, which requires an alkaline environment. The alkalizing agents, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, help to create and maintain the necessary pH level for the waving solution to work effectively.